75th anniversary of D-Day...

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Go Bama

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Except for the Monitor, weren’t all of the ironclad ships of the Civil War sloped? I would think the advantages of sloped armor have been known since medieval times. Think of a wedge shaped face mask a knight would wear to deflect a lance.

Just guessing, but I suspect the reason for not sloping the armor would be to allow for more interior room in the turret of a tank.
 

gman4tide

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I knew the russians utilized it way more with the T32(?). And i thought the germans did too? I guess i just didnt notice the diff after all these years of looking at the diff armored vehicles. I honestly didnt know the sherman utilized sloped armor? The armor on the panthers and tigers was just thicker? The churchill above just jumped out at me as being very flat surfaced.
 

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This is from "WorldofTanks.com." World of Tanks Scroll down to "rossmum." Warning though - it's 6K words plus...

No tank can be judged in a vacuum. The typical measure of how good a tank is in this game – one versus one on a billiard table, where all that matters are hard stats and soft stats and the rest be damned – does not apply in the real world. Tanks must be looked at as part of a system, and it is clear that Panther did not function well in that regard. In fact it was more of a tank destroyer than a medium tank, working at its best when positioned in a defensive ambush with a clear field of fire and pre-sighted terrain. When it came to performing the most important functions of the tank – supporting infantry, deep exploitation of a breach in enemy lines and encirclement of forces – Panther simply did not perform, let alone live up to the hype. As a tank it was a failure, and the intention of replacing the much better-rounded Panzer IV with it was a cardinal error that could have cost the Germans dearly had they been able to ever actually achieve that goal.The tank was not all bad, though. Its negative features provided a good lesson in how not to design a tank, and so we see little of its influence in postwar designs (except the brief and abortive, though intriguing,- designs of 1950s France). Those positive features it presented do live on though – the well-designed commander's cupola, advanced steering (even though in Panther's case it rarely worked as advertised), clear telescopic sight, and a handful of other minor designs.
 

crimsonaudio

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September 12, 1944: It’s Tuesday - today is D+98, marking 14 weeks since the D-Day Invasion at Normandy and the beginning of the liberation of Europe, and the Allied forces continue to push the Germans back. In Le Havre, the German garrison (over 12,000 men) surrenders to the British 1st Corps (part of Canadian 1st Army, British 21st Army Group) after heavy fighting. Forces of US 1st Army (part of US 12th Army Group) reach the German border between Aachen and Trier. US 3rd Army is heavily engaged around Thionville, Metz, Nancy, Neufchateau, and Vittel and US 7th Army reaches the outskirts of Langres. With the US 2nd Armored Division poised at the Albert Canal, General Brooks is relieved as the commanding officer and is placed in charge (on a temporary basis). Later in the year General Brooks will assume command of the VI Corps

In the skies over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks multiple targets with 800 bombers (45 lost), escorted by 579 fighters and intercepted by more than 400 Luftwaffe fighters. US 15th Air Force attacks Lechfeld, Munich, and Wasserburg with 330 bombers. During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 412 aircraft to attack Dortmund, Scholven-Buer, and Wanne-Eickel and 124 aircraft to attack Munster, 217 aircraft to attack Stuttgart, and 29 aircraft to attack Berlin.

In Italy the Greek government in exile (in Cairo) arrives in the city of Caserta in the south in order to be closer to Greece in the anticipation of returning. In the Apennine Mountains, US 5th Army launches a major offensive against the German Gothic Line in Italy. To the east, Canadian 5th Armored Division and British 1st Armored Division attack Coriano, Italy. The British 8th Army opens new assault against San Savino-Coriano ridge. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line, Genoa, and Milan.

In Moscow, The Romanian government signs the armistice with the Allies. The terms include reparations to the Soviet Union of $300,000,000 as well as cession of territory to the USSR.

One of the four German V-2 rockets launched hit the Chrysler vehicle works on Mortlake Road, in southwestern London. Eight are killed, 14 are wounded, and property damage is significant.

Pictured: Le Havre’s almost total destruction, over 12,000 German soldiers surrendered under the immense Allied firepower; 2nd battalion off the 117th with a light medium Stuart tank of the 113th Cavalry group, at the Belgian/Dutch border (between Moelingen France and Eisden, Holland), September 12, 1944; B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force bombing the railway yards at Salzburg, Austria, September 12, 1944; The daunting landscape of the Lucca Valley, part of the German line of defense (the Gothic Line) in Italy

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Tidewater

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September 12, 1944: ... 2nd battalion of the 117th with a light medium Stuart tank of the 113th Cavalry group, at the Belgian/Dutch border (between Moelingen France and Eisden, Holland), September 12, 1944;
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Now that was a nervous tank crew. In September 1944, the U.S. Army was still using M3 Stuarts, which had very thin armor and a 37mm cannon. This was obviously a crew who had learned the value of using terrain to hide in.
 

crimsonaudio

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September 13, 1944: Canadian 1st Army is attacking Boulogne and Calais while other elements probe across Leopold canal overnight and British 2nd Army is attacking around Antwerp and Albert canal. US 1st Army continues attacking around Maastricht and Aachen and US 3rd Army is heavily engaged around Thionville, Metz, and Nancy and liberates Neufchateau. General Simpson’s 9th Army, having relieved Patton’s 3rd Army, opens a series of attacks against the German garrison at Brest, hoping to break the German defenses which continue to fight fiercely against the Allies. US 7th Army captures Langres, Vesoul, and Villersexel.

Over western Europe, US 9th Air Force supports ground forces and begins rail-cutting campaign. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Belfort. RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force supporting ground operations and attacks V-weapons sites.

Over Germany, US 8th Air Force attacks multiple targets with 750 bombers (28 lost) while US 8th Air Force fighters attack airfields and other targets. US 15th Air Force attacks Odertal and Blechhammer. During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 140 aircraft to attack Gelsenkirchen and Osnabruck. Overnight, RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack Berlin.

After much delay and great pressure from the Western Allies, the Soviets finally begin supporting the Polish Home Guard uprising in Warsaw by air-lifting supplies and attacking German positions around the city. Meanwhile, forces of Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front continue to make progress as the Red Army capture Lomza and Narew, west of Bialystok. Soviet fronts on the Baltic flank preparing to launch new offensive against German Army Group North. German 9th Army begins withdrawing from Praga district of Warsaw on the east bank of the Vistula and demolishing bridges over the river while the 47th Army of Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front secures Praga.

In Italy, British 8th Army forces clear German forces from Coriano Ridge and continue attacking the remaining German positions on the Gemmano Ridge. US 5th Army attacks the Gothic Line. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy while US 15th Air Force attacks targets in northern Italy.

Pictured: A Sherman tank passes an abandoned German 88mm anti-tank gun during the advance in Belgium, September 13, 1944.; An unidentified member of the Essex Scottish examining a German heavy machine gun, abandoned north of Nieuwpoort, Belgium, September 13, 1944.; One of six French militiamen found guilty of treason by collaborating with the Germans is fastened to a stake by a guard before his execution. September 13, 1944; The crew of an upended Sherman tank of 7th Armoured Brigade enjoy a ‘brew’ beside their vehicle while waiting for a recovery team, Gothic Line, September 13, 1944. Their tank overturned after slipping off a narrow road in the dark.

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crimsonaudio

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September 14, 1944: In the north, General Crerar of the Canadian 1st Army is ordered by Montgomery to attack the area occupied by the Germans north of Antwerp, assisted by the Polish 1st Armored Division. The attack is difficult - on several occasions both the Canadian and Poles are pushed back by fierce German resistance. Despite the resistance, Allied troops capture Maastricht, Gulpen, and Meerssen in the Netherlands. To the south, Operation Dragoon officially comes to an end, as southern France is held entirely by the Allies.

Over northwestern Europe, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force continues supporting ground operations. US 9th Air Force attacks German positions around Brest with 140 bombers.

On the eastern front, Soviet troops of 1st Belorussian Front capture the Warsaw suburb of Praga, an important strongpoint in the German defenses on the eastern bank of the Vistula, and began air dropping supplies to the Armia Krajowa. The Red Army’s 3rd Baltic Front opens a new set of attacks against the remnants of the German Army Group North. The Soviets attack with nearly a million men, 3,000 tanks and are supported by 2,600 aircraft. The German defenses quickly crumble under the massive onslaught and retreat toward Riga.

In Warsaw, Poland, the Polish Home Army continues to hold Mokotow, Zoliborz, Czerniakow, and city center districts of Warsaw despite ongoing German assaults. In Warsaw, German 25th Panzer Division attacking Zoliborz and Czerniakow. Polish Home Army patrol swims the Vistula and makes contact with Soviet-controlled Polish 1st Army in Praga on the east bank. Soviet aircraft now making nightly supply drops to Home Army in Warsaw.

In Italy, the Canadian 5th Armored Division and British 1st Armored Division (both elements of the British 8th Army) complete the seizure of the Gemmano Ridge with the capture of Zollara and Coriano, then continue the advance to the advance to the Marano River. US 5th Army attacking Gothic Line around Monte Altuzzo, Monte Veruca, Monticelli, Monte Calvi, and Prefetto Hill.US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy.

Three German V-2 rockets hit Britain. One of them hits the center of Walthamstow, London at 4:55 AM, immediately killing six with another later dying from wounds. The resulting crater is 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep.

Pictured: Liberation of Maastricht, Netherlands.; Sherman M4 destroyed during fighting in the town of Vesoul, France, on September 14, 1944.; Map depicting the Allied campaign toward Germany, August 26-September 14, 1944.; British Churchill Tanks on Italian Hilltop In the Adriatic sector of the Italian front, British troops of the 8th Army advanced through the ridges of the Gothic Line against stiff enemy resistance and after bitter fighting captured Rimini, an important Adriatic port. A bridgehead over the Marno river was established on September 14, 1944 and held in spite of fierce enemy counter attacks.

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gman4tide

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Pictured: Le Havre’s almost total destruction, over 12,000 German soldiers surrendered under the immense Allied firepower; 2nd battalion off the 117th with a light medium Stuart tank of the 113th Cavalry group, at the Belgian/Dutch border (between Moelingen France and Eisden, Holland), September 12, 1944; B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force bombing the railway yards at Salzburg, Austria, September 12, 1944; The daunting landscape of the Lucca Valley, part of the German line of defense (the Gothic Line) in Italy

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Pretty cool, i was able to replicate that photo of salzburg on google earth. Wish i could post a pic.
 

crimsonaudio

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September 15, 1944: The last of the V-1 launch sites is captured in Holland, causing the Germans to increase their efforts to launch the weapons from aircraft.

The British 8th Army continues its advance in Italy as a bridgehead over the Marano River is established.

The western Allies attack the Siegfried Line and the US 3rd Army liberates Nancy and Epinal in France. The British 2nd Army secures a second bridgehead and crosses the Meuse-Escaut canal, while the US 7th Army (Patch) and newly activated French 1st Army (de Lattre) move north from southern France and close on the German border and come under command of Eisenhower and SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force). VIII Corps of US 9th Army continues assaulting Brest.

Over northwestern Europe, RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force supporting ground operations. US 9th Air Force supports US 1st Army and 3rd Army. 12th Tactical Air Command transferred from US 12th Air Force to US 9th Air Force. US 15th Air Force B-24s fly supply missions to France.

Over Germany, RAF Bomber Command sends 490 aircraft to attack Kiel and 27 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

On the eastern front, the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front attacks toward Valk, the Soviet 2nd Baltic Front attacks around Madona, and the Soviet 1st Baltic Front attacks around Jelgava. German 8th Army and Hungarian 2nd Army prepare to open offensive around Cluj.

In Italy, The British 8th Army establishes a bridgehead over the Marano River, moving north toward Rimini Line. US 5th Army continues battering the Gothic Line as elements of Brazilian 1st Infantry Division enter the line under command of US 5th Army. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy.

In occupied Norway, Operation Paravane is underway - a force of 28 British Lancaster bombers (from a Soviet airbase) attack the German battleship Tirpitz, anchored in Altafiord. Special 12,000-pound ‘Tallboy’ earthquake bombs are used. Only one bomb hits the target (on the bow) due to a German smoke screen which obscures the target, but it is enough - the Tirpitz is so damaged (the shock caused by the explosion of the Tallboy, or possibly from other Tallboys that were near misses, also damaged the battleship's engines) that it is towed south to Tromsø for repairs - where it is sunk a few weeks later during Operation Catechism.

Pictured: A member of the Belgian resistance paints a swastika on the forehead of a collaborator in Lanaken, Belgium, September 15, 1944.; Two US soldiers looking down a row of 'dragon's teeth' concrete tank obstacles on the West wall (the Siegfried Line), northwestern Germany, September 15, 1944.; A line of captured Nazi prisoners, led by a beaming American, marches past the foxhole of American infantrymen in the Carroceto area, near Naples, September 15, 1944; German smoke screens make targeting the Tirpitz difficult - they were effective, only one Tallbout earthquake bomb is a direct hit.

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Tidewater

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September 15, 1944: ...A line of captured Nazi prisoners, led by a beaming American, marches past the foxhole of American infantrymen in the Carroceto area, near Naples, September 15, 1944;

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This one struck me. Naples was hundreds of miles from the front lines in September 1944. Why would GIs be digging foxholes on the side of the road hundreds of miles south of the fighting?
I googled the name Carroceto and found the image, which it says was from February 1944, in the front lines around Anzio.
Maybe this photo got mislabeled by someone?
 

crimsonaudio

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September 16, 1944: The US 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion capture Simpelveld in the Netherlands while the battle for Metz rages on, as Patton’s 3rd Army continues to battle General Knobelsdorff’s 1st Army for control of the French city located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Canadian 1st Army continues attacking Boulogne and Calais while other elements make slow progress around Scheldt estuary. British 2nd Army is reorganizing around Antwerp and Albert canal. US 1st Army attacking around Aachen, Eschweiler, and Lammersdorf while further south, US 7th Army captures Luxeuil and Lure. VIII Corps of US 9th Army assaulting Brest. An isolated German Group Elster, 20,000 strong, surrenders to elements of US 9th Army along the Loire.

In the skies over northwestern Europe, US 9th Air Force and RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force support ground troops. RAF Bomber Command sends 223 aircraft to attack airfields and AA positions around Arnhem and Nijmegen overnight. US 15th Air Force utilizes 54 B-24s to fly supply missions to France and RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on special operations with supplies and agents for Resistance forces.

Over Germany, US 8th Air Force bombs and strafes multiple targets with 295 fighters. RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Brunswick overnight.

On the Eastern Front, Soviet forces launch an offensive toward Riga and Tallinn, in the Baltics. In the Balkans, in accordance with the terms of the Bulgarian armistice, elements of 3rd Ukrainian Front occupy Sofia in Bulgaria, then turn west in an attempt to cut off the retreat of German forces still in Yugoslavia and Greece. Soviet troops, Bulgarian troops, and Yugoslavian partisans defeated Chetnik fighters and Serbian Frontier Guards and captured Vlasotince, Yugoslavia.

In a speech by Goebbels (Hitler’s ‘Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda’), he calls for resistance by all Germans with utmost fanaticism, adding,
“Rarely in history has a brave people struggling for its life faced such terrible tests as the German people have in this war.... The misery that results for us all, the never ending chain of sorrows, fears, and spiritual torture does not need to be described in detail. We are bearing a heavy fate because we are fighting for a good cause, and are called to bravely endure the battle to achieve greatness.”

In Italy, British 8th Army continues attacking the Rimini Line. US 5th Army attacks the Gothic Line around Massarosa, Monte Pozzo del Bagno, Monte Altuzzo, Monticelli, Torricella Hill. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy.

Pictured: Infantry of British 50th (Northumbrian) Division move past a knocked-out German 88mm gun near 'Joe's Bridge' over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Belgium, September 16, 1944; 25-pdrs guns of 430th Battery of the British 55th Field Regiment supporting British Guards Armoured Division in the bridgehead over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Hechtel, Belgium, September 16, 1944 (1 of 2); 25-pdrs guns of 430th Battery of the British 55th Field Regiment supporting British Guards Armoured Division in the bridgehead over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Hechtel, Belgium, September 16, 1944 (2 of 2); Montgomery addressing men of the British 15th (Scottish) Division during an investiture ceremony, September 16, 1944.

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TIDE-HSV

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September 16, 1944: The US 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion capture Simpelveld in the Netherlands while the battle for Metz rages on, as Patton’s 3rd Army continues to battle General Knobelsdorff’s 1st Army for control of the French city located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Canadian 1st Army continues attacking Boulogne and Calais while other elements make slow progress around Scheldt estuary. British 2nd Army is reorganizing around Antwerp and Albert canal. US 1st Army attacking around Aachen, Eschweiler, and Lammersdorf while further south, US 7th Army captures Luxeuil and Lure. VIII Corps of US 9th Army assaulting Brest. An isolated German Group Elster, 20,000 strong, surrenders to elements of US 9th Army along the Loire.

In the skies over northwestern Europe, US 9th Air Force and RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force support ground troops. RAF Bomber Command sends 223 aircraft to attack airfields and AA positions around Arnhem and Nijmegen overnight. US 15th Air Force utilizes 54 B-24s to fly supply missions to France and RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on special operations with supplies and agents for Resistance forces.

Over Germany, US 8th Air Force bombs and strafes multiple targets with 295 fighters. RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Brunswick overnight.

On the Eastern Front, Soviet forces launch an offensive toward Riga and Tallinn, in the Baltics. In the Balkans, in accordance with the terms of the Bulgarian armistice, elements of 3rd Ukrainian Front occupy Sofia in Bulgaria, then turn west in an attempt to cut off the retreat of German forces still in Yugoslavia and Greece. Soviet troops, Bulgarian troops, and Yugoslavian partisans defeated Chetnik fighters and Serbian Frontier Guards and captured Vlasotince, Yugoslavia.

In a speech by Goebbels (Hitler’s ‘Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda’), he calls for resistance by all Germans with utmost fanaticism, adding,
“Rarely in history has a brave people struggling for its life faced such terrible tests as the German people have in this war.... The misery that results for us all, the never ending chain of sorrows, fears, and spiritual torture does not need to be described in detail. We are bearing a heavy fate because we are fighting for a good cause, and are called to bravely endure the battle to achieve greatness.”

In Italy, British 8th Army continues attacking the Rimini Line. US 5th Army attacks the Gothic Line around Massarosa, Monte Pozzo del Bagno, Monte Altuzzo, Monticelli, Torricella Hill. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy.

Pictured: Infantry of British 50th (Northumbrian) Division move past a knocked-out German 88mm gun near 'Joe's Bridge' over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Belgium, September 16, 1944; 25-pdrs guns of 430th Battery of the British 55th Field Regiment supporting British Guards Armoured Division in the bridgehead over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Hechtel, Belgium, September 16, 1944 (1 of 2); 25-pdrs guns of 430th Battery of the British 55th Field Regiment supporting British Guards Armoured Division in the bridgehead over the Meuse-Escaut Canal, Hechtel, Belgium, September 16, 1944 (2 of 2); Montgomery addressing men of the British 15th (Scottish) Division during an investiture ceremony, September 16, 1944.
Well, there it is again. I wonder if those missions are declassified now?
 

crimsonaudio

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September 17, 1944: Operation Market Garden begins. The Allied intention is to secure key bridges over a series of rivers and canals in Holland to achieve a rapid advance onto the north German plain. In a massive display of air supremacy, Allied forces launch a huge airborne attack in an attempt to secure a bridgehead over the Rhine River and Arhnem. Over 1,500 planes and 500 gliders drop elements of three airborne divisions into Holland in an attempt to capture a corridor leading from Eindhoven to Arnhem that crosses five water bodies including two major river bridges. The initial landings are a great success - on the first day, the US 101st Airborne Division secures bridges at Veghel and Son. The US 82nd Airborne Division secures the bridge at Grave but not the one at Nijmegen. The British 1st Airborne Division, dropped near Arnhem, fails to secure the bridge there because of unexpected German resistance. Unknown to Allied planners, the 9th SS Hohenstaufen and 10th SS Frundsberg Panzer Divisions are located in Arnhem for rest and refit from combat on the Eastern Front. Meanwhile, the British 30th Corps (part of British 2nd Army) attacks northward toward Eindhoven to relieve the paratroopers. To the west, Canadian forces, also part of British 21st Army Group, launch an attack on Boulogne after a preparatory bombing by the RAF.

The Market Garden airborne assault is in conjunction with an armored drive by the elite British XXX Corps spearheaded by the Guards Armored Division. They run into very determined and unexpected resistance, advancing only 7 miles on the first day. US 56th Fighter Group loses sixteen out of thirty-nine P-47D Thunderbolt aircraft on flak suppression duties in support of the operation.

In France, the siege of Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, begins. With 1 Corps grounded from lack of transport, the only available formation is the 3rd Canadian Division (less one brigade but reinforced with some armor and medium regiments of artillery). Despite being smaller than Le Havre, Boulogne proves to be very difficult, with deep underground fortifications as well as surrounding forts, minefields and anti-tank ditches. Heavy bombing on the opening day fails to destroy the numerous German gun batteries, making the siege more difficult than expected.

US 1st Army attacks around Aachen and Schnee Eifel and US 3rd Army remains heavily engaged around Metz and Arnaville. US 7th Army pushes north toward Moselle River. VIII Corps of US 9th Army assaults Brest.

Over northwestern Europe, US 9th Air Force supports ground troops and attacks German positions around Brest. RAF Bomber Command sends 762 aircraft to attack Boulogne during the day. US 8th Air Force utilizes 101 B-24 bombers to fly fuel to France.

On the eastern front, the Soviet 3rd Baltic Front is smashing the German 18th Army around Tartu. Polish 1st Army of Soviet 1st Belorussian Front secures fragile bridgehead across the Vistula in Warsaw overnight.

In Italy, the battle at the German ‘Gothic Line’ continues as the US 85th Division captures Monte Altuzzo, while other US units capture Lucca, Monte Liguana, Il Giogo Pass, Monte Pratone, Monte Monticelli, Marcoiano, Torricela Hill, and Monte Peschiena. To the east, Indian 4th Division attacks German 278th Infantry Division in San Marino. US 12th Air Force aircraft attack targets around Gothic Line and in northern Italy.

Pictured: A Loyd carrier of the anti-tank platoon of 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards explodes during British XXX Corps' advance toward Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands, September 17, 1944.; Reconnaissance photograph showing Dakota aircraft dropping paratroopers of 1st Airborne Brigade on to Dropping Zone 'X', at Renkum, west of Arnhem, Operation Market I, September 17, 1944.; An American C-47 aircraft, hit by flak returning from the Market-Garden drop, burning after crash-landing into a knocked-out German Jagdpanther near Gheel, Belgium, September 17, 1944.; Sherman tanks of the UK Irish Guards Group advancing past Sherman tanks knocked out in previous actions, the Netherlands, September 17, 1944.

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September 17, 1944: Operation Market Garden begins. ... Unknown to Allied planners, the 9th SS Hohenstaufen and 10th SS Frundsberg Panzer Divisions are located in Arnhem for rest and refit from combat on the Eastern Front.
Not only had the 9th and 10th SS Panzer involved in the extraction of the First Panzer Army on the Eastern Front in March-April, but they had a little sojourn in Normandy in June-August.
I went back and checked what I had posted earlier and when Sepp Dietrich took command of the 5th Panzer Army, on 25 August 1944, he directed survey of the status of the army's panzer units.
"The 10th SS Panzer Division had only a weak infantry battalion (perhaps 300 men), no tanks, no guns; ... the 9th SS Panzer Division had 460 men, 20 to 25 tanks, and 20 guns."
Nevertheless, these two divisions were fighting airborne troops in Holland three week later. Motivating these guys was probably no easy task.
 
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TIDE-HSV

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It's been years and years since I read "Bridge Too Far," but, IIRC, the blame was laid squarely on Monty's head. It's a puzzle to me, since he was normally so cautious...
 
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